Photographic projecting, enlarging, copying, and contact printing device



v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,473,980

PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTING, ENLARGING, COPYING,

AND CONTACT PRINTING DEVICE Flled July 29, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l W 37[:i a 1 y z II 93 65. 75 205 l l 202 ll E i; l 1'l ill Hi! l; [IL/ l I11 I" I all 1 I 1/ ii IN V EN TOR.

E. PRATT BY GEORGE F. GRAY 207 WM' M A 7'TOR/VEYS.

Aug. 16, 1949. v. E. PRATT ETAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTING, ENLARGING,COPYING,

AND CONTACT PRINTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sneet 2 Filed July 29. 1944 IN V ENTOR. VERA/E UR E. PRA T 7' .lwifi 3 W 1 v y I 4 w MM| m nhlllfl llll W 7-w w w /W m 7 M -l u M Q H #1 a. 1/ a y A 2 4 a w By GEORGE E GRAYATTORNEYS Aug. 16, 1949. v. E. PRATT ETAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTlNtLENLARGENd, COPYING. AND CONTACT PRINTINu DEVICE 3 Sheets--Snevt 3 FiledJuly 29, 1944 v INVENTOR. VERA/EUR E. PRATT Y GEORGEF GRAY Patented Aug.16, 1949 PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTING, ENLABGING,

COPYING, AND CONTACT PRINTING na- VICE Verneur E. Pratt and George F.Gray, Norwalk, Conn.

Application July 29, 1944, Serial N0. 547,131

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to combination photographic projector, enlarger,flow camera and contact printer and more particularly to modificationsin the combined camera and printer described in the co-pendingapplication for U. S. Letters Patent Serial Number 507,939, filedOctober 28, 1943, now U. S. Patent No. 2,435,099, dated January 27,1948, of which the instant application is a continuation in part.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide means where the aforesaid cameraprinter can be used as a flowenlarger;

To provide means where the aforesaid cameraprinter can be used as aprojector or flow printer;

To provide an improved device of the character described in which atransparent drum supports a film as it passes across the field of viewof a lens;

Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from thefollowing specification, wherein is described a device of the typedescribed in the aforesaid co-pending application to which has beenadded the necessary parts to enable enlarging and projecting to beaccomplished.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal view on the line i--l of Figure 3and partly in section of a device of the character described embodyingthe invention;

Figure 2 is a top view partly in section of the device shown in Figure1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 andpartly in section of the device shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal view of a feeding mechanism that maybe used with the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

Referring to Figure 1, the enlarger or projector unit has a suitableframework including the front 3|, the base 32, a rear plate 36, andsuitable connecting members forming a frame. The front, base, and theirconnecting members (not shown) are secured together in any suitablemanner to form a unit structure.

Referring to Figure 3, a longitudinal vertical mounting plate 31 extendsfrom the front 3| to the rear plate 36 and may be secured to theseplates and to the base 32. This plate divides the unit into twocompartments indicated at 38, 39 in Figure 3. The compartment 38contains the driving and clutch control mechanism for operating thecamera, and compartment 39 contains the film reels, drive and guiderollers, film drums and lens mounting. Covers 40, 4! are hinged at 42 tothe mounting plate 31 (or attached to the unit in any suitable manner)and extend over and close the compartments 38, 33 as shown in Figure 3,and these covers can be made sufllciently close fitting to prevent theentrance of light to either or both the compartments 3!, 39.

The driving mechanism for the projector comprises a suitable motor 43mounted on bracket 44, secured to plate 31 or base 32. This motor mayhave a built-in gear reducer if desired. Such a gear reducer usuallyemploys worms and can be made free from back lash. The motor ispreferably a synchronous motor.

The motor is provided with a driving pulley 48 over which the belt 46passes to the driven pulley 41 on shaft 5| supported in bearing 49 inthe bracket 50 secured to the base 32 and plate 31 as shown in Figure 3.

Shaft 51 has secured to its inner end, the driving member 52 of a.clutch having a plurality of teeth 53 on its engaging face. Thelaterally movable driven member 54 of the clutch also has teeth 55 onits engaging face and is urged to the left, Figure 3, by a compressedspring 56 carried on a shaft 51, the clutch end of which is splined toslidably support the member 54 to be rotatably driven thereby.

The clutch construction here shown is merely by way of illustration, andany suitable clutching mechanism may be employed.

The shaft 51 extends through the plate 31 and is supported in a suitablebearing 58 therein and carries on its outer end in the compartment 39,

I the film drive roller 59.

A suitable electrically operated clutch operating device such as thesolenoid 60 has a plunger core 6| having a pin 82 engaging the arm 62supported on the bracket 63 mounted on plate 31. This arm has a forkedend 62 which rests on the outer flange of the driven member 54 of theclutch which is thereby held out of engagement (against the urge ofspring 56) with the driven member 52 when the core 6| of the solenoid isin the position shown in Figure 3, the solenoid being energized. The arm62 is connected at its lower end to the tension spring 64 so that whenthe clutch members 52, 54 are brought into engagement by spring 53,which occurs when the solenoid is deenergized, the core 6| via pin 62 ispulled outwardly by arm 52 and spring 64 so as to be in position forre-operation. The belts 54 54 drive the usual take-up pulleys on thefilm take-up reels (not shown).

The mechanism in compartment 39 as shown in Figure 1 comprises the filmdrive roller 59 and a plurality of film guide rollers 65, 6B, 61, andthe aa'zaeeo I tained unit or sub-assembly which may be in the filmengaging the circumferential rim thereof.

These guide rollers and the drum-are mounted on stub shafts extendingfrom the plate 31, the rollers 65, 66, 61 and drum 200 being freelyrotatable.

Film reel supports 00, I0, II, 12 are provided for the reception of theusual film reels 14, I5, and the film 13 to be projected may be takenfrom reel 14, passed over the guide roller 61, which has a spring (notshown) urging it in the direction of the arrow 01 around drive roller59, drum 200, roller 65, roller 66 (which is spring-pressed like 61) andfinally wound up on reel I5. The latter reel may, by its supportingshaft I or in any other suitable manner, be driven in the usual mannerto take up film as it is unwound from reel 14.

The mechanism just described is merely illustrative; any suitablemechanism may be employed to unwind the film continuously past the lens.

The lens tube I0 is slidably mounted on the base 32 so as to be easilyremovable from the compartment 39 and contains a suitable lens adaptedto project an image on the film 13 where same passes a slot I'I in theupper end of the lens tube downwardly through the opening I00 and tunnel98.

The light tunnel, as shown, is positioned above the sheet 20! ofsensitized paper, or forming a screen, and the rectangular tunnelextends across said sheet the full width of the platen. For example, ifthe machine is designed to handle paper 8 inches wide, the tunnel willextend across the 8 inch dimension. l The upper end of the tunnel 988terminates directly below the lens tube I6 as shown in Figure 1 so thatthe image produced by this will cover the surface I I6 of the sheet 20I.An aperture I00 is provided in the base 32 of the unit to permit lightto pass therethrough.

To provide illumination for the film, a suitable lamp house 202 may bemounted on the base 32 in any suitable manner as shown in Figure 3 andcontains the lamp 203. The lamp house has a tubular lens mounting 204 inwhich is mounted the usual condensing lens system 205. Secured to andsupported by the'lens mounting 204 is a prism, or other suitable device,206, located within the drum 200 at least the rim of which istransparent. This drum is of accurate diameter to 1 the lens in tube andcontinues downward in the direction of the arrow 201, Figure 1.

The platen unit shown in Figure 4 is mounted immediately under theprojector unit previously described. This unit has a framework similarto the camera unit. Side plates of the platen unit are shown at I04.These side plates are suitably spaced apart by tie rods I05, and betweenthese side plates the platen mechanism is mounted.

The mechanism shown in Figure 3 forms a complete self-contained unit orsub-assembly which may be in the form of a drawer as more fullydescribed in the aforesaid copending application and is, therefore,removable from its supporting framework or cabinet without disassemblingthe parts mounted therein. The mechanism showninFigure4mayalsoformacompleteself-conform of a drawer, as more fullydescribed in the aforesaid copending application and is, therefore,removable from its supporting framework or cabinet without disassemblingthe parts mounted therein.

This mechanism comprises the driving motor I06 which through belt I08drives the pulley I09, the shaft of which carries a plurality ofsuitable pulleys on which there are a plurality of endless belts IIOwhich pass over a pulley III at the outer end of the unit. Individualtake-up pulleys II2 spring-pressed downward at I I3 may be used to takeup the slack in each belt IIO so as to keep it tight and fiat across theguide rollers H4, H5 so that the upper surfaces of the belts below thefield of view of the lens at the point II6 will form a rigid travelingsupport for the sheet 20I to receive the image from the film.

Lamps 91 are suitably supported above the platen mechanism to illuminatethe space IIE below the light tunnel 98.

When the device is used as a flow camera, copy flowing across saidspace, due to the action of the platen mechanism previously described,will be illuminated by said lamps.

When the device is used as a contact printer, as previously described,and motor I00 is not in operation, and a piece of white paper or thelike is laid on the platen mechanism to form a reflecting surface atII6, light from the lamps 91 wlil be reflected from said surface and upthe light tunnel 9B and through the films on drum 200.

At the forward end of this unit there are a plurality of idler belts II1 passing over the pulleys H8, H9 and I20, the two forward pulleys II8,I I9 are mounted in a sub-frame I2I which swings around the axis of thepulley I20 as shown in dotted lines, Figure 4. The belts II! are infrictional contact with the belts H0 and are driven thereby so that asheet or web of paper 20I fed into the front of the platen unit will begrasped by the belts H0 and II! and carried across the space II6 belowthe light tunnel 98. As the sheet continues to travel to the right,Figure 11, it will be grasped by idler belts I22 carried by the pulleysI23, I24, I25 and I26. Belts I22 are in frictional contact with thebelts H0 and the paper 20I will therefore be grasped by belts II 0 andI22 and carried around the drive pulley I09 between the belts H0 and I22and emerge at the point I21, and drop into the storage compartment I20located below the unit. The paper may be wound on a spool.

The paper 20I may be any suitable type of photographic paper, or othermaterial adapted to receive a photographic image and the emergent beamfrom tunnel 98 impinges upon this paper at H6.

The synchronizing of the film feed in the camera-unit, and the feed forthe paper 20I is not described in detail, as any suitable controlmechanism such as that described in the aforesaid copending applicationmay be used. Also, details of the construction of the mounting,framework and electrical connections are given in said copendingapplication and are therefore not described here in detail, as these maybe of any desired type. I

The foregoing describes the device when used as a projector wherein animage on film I3 is projected downwardly to the platen at the point II0. If a sensitized medium. such as a sheet of photographic paper 20I isfed across the field of view operating the platen mechanism can bestopped.

If it is desired to use the device as a flow camera to photograph imagesof copy, such as documents or the like, fed across the point or space H6in the focal plane of the lens by the operation of the platen mechanism,unexposed film is used at 13 and lamp 203 is extinguished. The copy onthe moving belts of the platen mechanism is illuminated in any suitablemanner, such as by lamps 91, and an image of the copy is impressed onthe film 13 as the film and copy are moved relative to each other, allas more fully described in the aforesaid copending application.

To use the device as a contact printer and produce prints directly froma film without enlargement, the camera is used as described in theaforesaid pending application. But, it is here briefly pointed out thatthe reel 14 carrying negative film i3 is placed on support H; a roll ofunexposed film is placed on support 69; films are wound over the guiderollers and around drum 200; the negative film being outside and theimage surfaces of the films being in contact. Take up reels are placedon the supports 10 and 12 to receive the films.

The lens 16 is removed and as the films are slowly moved through thedevice by operation of the camera motor 43, light from the lamps 91 isreflected by a white sheet 2M placed on the platen mechanism at I IS,the motor of the platen mechanism I05 being stopped. This reflectedlight passes up the tunnel 38 through the slit I1, through the negativefilm '13, and the film lying below it on the drum 200, thereby making acontact print on the last-mentioned film.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present inventionprovides in a single apparatus or device:

(a) An enlarger capable of enlarging images on a film and photographingsaid enlarged images on a flow sheet of sensitized material. A projectorwhereby an image on a film is projected and enlarged on a screen forvisual observation.

A new camera where images of moving copy are impressed on a moving film.

A contact printer wherein an image on one film is printed on anotherfilm, said films being in contact and no lens being used.

This quadruple use of the device is largely made possible by theemployment of the transparent drum 200 and its cooperative relationshipwith the film or films which it supports, the arrangement being suchthat a beam of light can be projected from the inside of the drumthrough a film supported thereon when the device is used as an enlarger,or a projector.

When used as a fiow camera, or a contact continuous printer, the lightbeam is projected from outside the drum and through the film thereon.

Because of the necessity of reversing the path of the light in such amulti-use device, such structures have heretofore been complicated andrequired extensive and careful rearrangement 3 and relocation of thevarious parts such as the lamps, lenses, supports, etc., when convertingthe device from one use to another, which rearrangement is unnecessarywith the instant invention. I

What is claimed is:

1. In a multi-use device'of the character described, a camera-projectorunit including a framework having a vertical mounting plate extendinglongitudinally of the framework, a lens having its optical axis parallelto the plane of said plate, means carried on said plate for supportingand moving a film transverse the optical axis of said lens including arotatably supported drum having a transparent arcuate rim portionadapted to be driven by a film engaging said rim, driving meansextending through said plate for operating said film moving means, meansfor illuminating film carried on said drum comprising a light sourcemounted in said unit, means for projecting a beam of light through thearcuate rim of said drum and through film supported thereby andoutwardly through said lens, a slit-forming member positioned in theoptical path of said lens wherein said slit is parallel to the axis ofthe drum, 8. platen unit including a conveyor spaced apart from saidfirst unit, the linear speed of said conveyor being synchronized withthe movement of said drum, said conveyor being located subjacent saidprojector unit and adapted to position flat sheets in the field of viewof said lens, said sheets being moved by said conveyor at a differentlinear speed from the speed of said drum and positioned to receive ontheir fiat surfaces enlarged images projected thereto from film carriedon said drum, and means for illuminating sheets carried by said conveyorto cause an image of same made by reflected light to impinge on filmcarried by said-drum, said first means for illuminating film mounted insaid cameraprojector unit being extinguished the while.

2. In a multi-use device of the character described, a camera-projectorunit including a framework having a vertical mounting plate extendinglongitudinally of the framework, a lens having its optical axis parallelto the plane of said plate, means carried on said plate for supportingand moving a film transverse the optical axis of said lens including arotatably supported drum having a transparent arcuate rim portionadapted to be driven by a film engaging said rim, driving meansextending through said plate for operating said film moving means, amotor connected to said driving means secured to said unit and movabletherewith, means for illuminating film carried on said drum comprising alight source mounted in said unit, means for projecting a beam of lightthrough the arcuate rim of said drum and film supported thereby andoutwardly through said lens, a slit-forming member positioned in theoptical path of said lens wherein said slit is parallel to the axis ofthe drum, a platen unit including a conveyor spaced apart from saidfirst unit, the linear speed of said conveyor being synchronized withthe movement of said drum, said conveyor being located subjacent saidprojector unit and adapted to position fiat sheets in the field of viewof said lens, said sheets being moved by said conveyor at a differentlinear speed from the speed of said drum and positioned to receive ontheir fiat surfaces enlarged images projected thereto from film carriedon said drum, and means for illuminating sheets carried by said conveyorto cause an image of same made by reflected light to impinge on filmcarried by said drum, said first means for illuminating film mounted insaid camera projector unit being extin ished the while.

3 A device as claimed in claim 2 including a second motor for operatingsaid conveyor, said second motor forming part of said platen unit.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 including a main frame wherein saidcamera-projector unit is removably mounted in the upper part thereof andsaid platen unit is mounted in said main frame subjacent saidcamera-projector unit whereby fiat sheets on said conveyor in saidplaten unit are positioned in the field of view of the lens of thecamera projector, unit.

5. In a multi-use device of the character described, a main framework,9, camera-projector unit mounted in said framework and including a lens,means in said unit for supporting and moving a film transverse the axisof said lens including a rotatable supporting drum having a transparentarcuate rim portion having its surface erpendicular to the axis of saidlens, the axes of said lens and drum intersecting, said drum adapted tobe driven by a film engaging said arcuate rim, a slit-forming memberpositioned in the optical path of said lens, means in said unit forprojecting a beam of light through the transparent rim of said drum andfilm carried thereon and to direct same through said lens, a conveyoradapted to support flat sheets mounted in said framework independentlyof said projector unit and adapted to place fiatsheets in the frontfocal plane of said lens, and means for projecting light to sheets splaced.

6. In a combined photographic projector, enlarger, fiow camera andcontact printer, the combination of a main frame, a supporting structuremounted on said frame, a pair of reels mounted on said structure, asecond pair of reels mounted on said structure, means for transferringfilm from one of said reels in each pair to the other reel of the pairat a predetermined linear speed, a hollow rotatable drum having atransparent rim forming an arcuate support in the paths of said filmsbetween reels of each pair and adapted to be driven by at least one ofsaid films, a lens outside said drum and having its axis perpendicularto the axis of the drum and adapted to be focussed on the film supportedthereon, a slitforming member positioned in the optical path of saidlens, a conveyor for positioning fiat sheets in the front focal plane ofsaid lens, said conveyor adapted when in motion to move said sheetstransverse the optical axis of said lens at a fixed speed relative tothe linear speed of film moved by said transferring means, means forilluminating sheets carried on said conveyor, means for illuminatingfilm on said transparentrim, said two illuminating means being usable atwill whereby when a single pair of said reels and one negative film isemployed the device may be used as a projector-enlarger, or as a contactprinter 8 when both said pairs of reels are respectively supplied with anegative and an unexposed film, and as a camera when said firstilluminating means is used to illuminate sheets on the conveyor and asingle pair of reels is employed using unexposed film to receive imagesvia light reflected from sheets on the conveyor.

7. In a combined photographic projector, enlarger, fiow camera andcontact printer, the combination of a supporting framework, a casingremovably supported on said framework in the upper portion thereof, saidcasing having a vertical mounting plate extending longitudinally thereinand dividing said casing into two compartments,

said plate supporting the following instrumentalities in cooperativerelationship in one of said compartments; to wit, film reels, means formoving film carried on said reels, a rotatable drum having a transparentrim for supporting said film in the back focus .of a lens, a lens, alight source, means for directing a beam of light through saidtransparent rim and into said lens for projection outside saidcompartment; the

other of said compartments containing a motor for driving said filmmoving means via a shaft extending through said mounting plate. aconveyor mounted subjacent said casing and adapted to position fiatsheets in the front focal plane of said lens, and means for illuminatingsheets on said conveyor whereby same may be photographed by refiectedlight via said lens and on to film carried by said drum, said firstmentioned light source in said casing being extinguished the while.

VERNEUR E. PRAIT.

GEORGE F. GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,212,259 Ramsey Jan. 16, 19171,539,322 Morton May 26, 1925 1,814,525 Owem July 14, 1931 1,896,246Owens Feb. 7, 19 33 2,032,397 Brady Mar. 3, 1936 2,058,409 Capstafl Oct.27, 1936 2,153,214 Tondreau Apr. 4, 1939 2,206,396 Glass et al. July 2,1940 2,233,809 Darby Mar. 4, 1941 2,251,998 Goodale Aug. 12, 19412,282,337 Mies et al. May 12, 1942 2,292,825 Dilks, Jr. Aug. 11, 19422,358,649 Landrock et al Sept. 19, 1944 2,411,694 Place Nov. 26, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 796,844 France Apr. 16, 1936 834,651France 'Nov. 29, 1938

